Minutes of Board of Directors’ Meeting, 09/10/12

Parkwood Garden Club
Board of Directors’ MinutesSeptember 10, 2012

The September 10, 2012 meeting of the Parkwood Garden Club (PGC) Board of Directors was held at 220 Upland Road in Decatur, GA. The meeting was called to order at 7:12 pm. The following officers/committee chairs attended: Tom Bell, Karna Candler, Bryan Bell, Steve Elmore, Scott McVeigh, Joanna Quillen, Jim Paulino, and Patti Paulino.

Sharon LeMaster is checking to see if she can give neighbors a tour of the Michael C. Carlos Museum on Nov. 8, which is one of the days the museum offers free admission. The museum will be open until 7:30 pm that evening. Sharon will aim for a tour time between 5 and closing. At 7:30 the museum hosts a free hour-long lecture if any neighbors are interested.

Karna is working with Ann Wallace in the East Lake Neighborhood, to collect detailed, geographic information about rat infestation. They will then take this information to the county and request action. Meanwhile, residents are encouraged to trap.

Only two members of the PGC do not have email: Mr. Platt and Ms. Treadway. All committees should remember this when distributing important information.

Civic Committee

We’ve had a number of car break-ins in the Lenox Park and East Lake neighborhoods and now several in Parkwood. Karna will contact Christy Kennedy about resuming our neighborhood Crime Watch. Bryan encouraged everyone to phone the police any time you see anyone who you don’t think belongs in the neighborhood. He also encouraged everyone to keep cars unlocked and empty. The police have been asked to step up patrols.

The PGC Board reviewed the new Communications Plan and made a few changes. Bryan will distribute the updated Communications Plan. This plan details the type of information and who is responsible for it and whether it will be communicated to neighbors through email, website, website/email and/or Facebook. Notes:

Specific information about smaller social functions will have a note of “please check your email for details,” reserving privacy and security by withholding specific time and location.

Karna moves that we remove the PGC website password protection to the minutes, past and present and that the general public be able to read them. Tom seconded the motion. Discussion: Karna wants open information. Bryan raised the sensitivity issue. All voted in favor of the motion.

Lost pet section should be removed from the website since it is time sensitive and is better communicated through email and Facebook.

Every new neighbor should be added to the email distribution list. Bryan will “own” the email list, updating it as necessary. All additions or deletions should be forwarded to Bryan.

DeKalb County Traffic has painted the permanent yellow stripes at the East Lake traffic circle. They also painted a “stop stripe” at the circle stop sign to help bring attention to it.

The Facebook site will roll out to the neighborhood on the website, through the website email and at the Street Party.

Parkwood Park Committee

Joe Dicks will distribute Powl as needed to be sure the original is being used in an appropriate way.

Steve Elmore distributed five pages detailing South Fork Conservancy Procedures, including Contributions, Payment of Invoices and Reimbursement of Paid Expenses, Periodic Statements, the Contribution Form and the Request for Payment or Reimbursement Form. Tom moved that the South Fork Procedures be approved by the Board and submitted into the minutes (see below.) Bryan seconded the motion. Discussion: Steve clarified that the PPC will not need permission to change these procedures, only to notify the Board that a change has been made. All voted in favor of the motion.

Steve highlighted the need for a series of workdays in Parkwood Park designated to specific jobs, i.e. mulching, cutting tree limbs, removing invasive plants and planting.

The funds for the Parkwood Park sign have cleared. The PPC hopes to have the sign up by the end of October.

A Parkwood Park tree inventory is maintained by the PPC. Trees will always be a significant issue. The #7 white oak has died and will require work to top it.

Tom moves that PGC Board authorize volunteers who water the Park to use the water meter at no charge to water their yards, excluding swimming pools. Steve seconded the motion. All approve.

There has been a change to the invasive plant removal plan. Parkwood Park has a huge variety of native plants, even under the ivy. The Park has virtually no storm water erosion and no kudzu. We will spray two targeted areas of ¼ acre size this winter and wait to see what native plants emerge in the spring. If this is successful, it will be repeated in different areas each year. Also, for areas where the ivy and the native plants are co-mingled, hand pulling of the ivy is recommended. This process will be much slower and will require more volunteer hours, but the park will need less new plantings in the future.

Membership Committee

The Street Party organizers, Katy Mallory and Vica Bourque, have scheduled the Street Party for Sunday, October 21, from 3:00 to 7:00pm. They will need to get a permit from the City of Decatur to block off the street. Patti will follow up with them in two weeks. Tom offered to write specific checks to specific vendors if that will help. The neighborhood wide work day will be on Saturday morning, October 20.

Rebecca sent Patti the map with addresses in ZARA format. Jim will contact Bolot about editing this map.

The Board did a detailed review of all Membership Drive materials.

Delete the request for url/website address

Add $45 PGC dues to assumed total amount – in Bold

Additional Donation (drop “to Parkwood Garden Club”)

“*If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to the Parkwood Park, you may donate through the South Fork Conservancy using the Parkwood Park special contribution form.”

Patti will revise the contribution form and email it to everyone for final feedback.

We will need about 150 packets.

The people on W. Ponce de Leon will only be solicited with the Parkwood Park solicitation letter. This letter will ask them to contact Karna if they are interested in joining the PGC, so that she can personally explain membership details.

Board members will distribute packets door to door. Patti will assign each Board member a section of the neighborhood to canvas.

The meeting adjourned at 9:06 PM. The next meeting will be held on October 8, 2012 at Karna’s house, 7 PM at 220 Upland Road.Parkwood Garden Club

Proposed Budget – 2013

Income

Dues (90 members @ $45)

$ 4,050.00

General Fund Carryover

$ –

Total Income

$ 4,050.00

Expenses

Administrative

Property Taxes

$ 37.00

Insurance

$ 250.00

Annual Corp Registration

$ 30.00

Web Site

$ 25.00

P.O.Box

$ 52.00

Misc

$ 141.00

Total

$ 535.00

Parkwood Park Committee

Geigerscapes (Gnds Mx)

$ 1,530.00

Water

$ 200.00

Contingency

$ 450.00

Total

$ 2,180.00

Membership Committee

Spring Party

$ 300.00

Fall Picnic

$ 300.00

Holiday Party

$ 300.00

Directory Printing

$ 200.00

Flyers

$ 60.00

Neighbor Care

$ 100.00

Total

$ 1,260.00

Civic Committee

Holiday Decorations

$ 75.00

Total Expenses

$ 4,050.00

Reserve/Contingency Fund

$ 5,000.00

Parkwood Park South Fork Conservancy Procedures

The contract between the Parkwood Garden Club (PGC) and the South Fork

Conservancy (SFC) identifies the PPC Chairperson as the point of contact between the

two groups. All communications, questions, and requests should flow through the PPC

Donate to Parkwood Park

Parkwood Park now receives financial sponsorship from the South Fork Conservancy, an organization which is undertaking the restoration of the south fork of Peachtree Creek and its tributaries, including Peavine Creek. You can make a contribution to the South Fork Conservancy for Parkwood Park using the special Parkwood Park contribution form. And because the South Fork Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) organization, your contribution will be tax-deductible.